I met with one twice this winter and now she reviews my exercise logs monthly and suggests improvements, but I think it would be much better to have someone there teaching you new moves and convincing you to go a few more reps. Glad to hear it's working for you!

Realizing it is not for everyone, I personally found that martial arts were the best way possible for me to stay in shape. I've always played some form of sports, not always well but I played. Many built up cardio and certain muscles but I either felt lacking in strength, flexibility or some other aspect. I tried the gym a few times but routine is the ultimate de-motivator for me.

Karate proved to be just the thing. It involved a very challenging, total body workout. It built strength and flexibility. Best of all, I could go three nights a week and never, ever did I feel boredom. Every class had something new and never felt repetitive.

Our club had exceptional instructors who inspired as well as taught. It catered to those who wanted to compete but they also welcomed and encouraged those who were just there for exercise. No matter which way you focused, it equated to a very cardio centric and muscle burning workout that challenged you to improve yourself and often had your mind working as hard as your body.

Classes varied greatly from night to night. You never knew what the focus might be or when something new would be taught. For me and my particular personality, this equalled motivation.

Sadly, due to a badly damaged knee, I can no longer participate in anything that involves leg impact. I struggle to keep my otherwise thin body from developing a beergut every winter. Nothing worse than a skinny guy with a beer gut. You look like the aliens from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Just thought I'd mention it for those people like me who have trouble with gym workouts. Although, I recognize most programs are wayyy better than they used to be to add variety. But if you are like me and need to always have something new thrown at you, consider a martial art as a self-motivating form of exercise. The key is to find a club that suits your goals. It doesn't have to be about physical combat. Many clubs welcome those who are just there for the exercise.

I keep it very simple - I go for a 1/1.5 hour walk daily through our local nearby parks & forest, sometimes stopping to smell the roses & talk to our urban deer. No membership fees required.

After I experienced a long, steady rise in my blood sugar levels (Type 2 diabetes since 1980, based on my extensive net research since last December I've limited my daily carb intake to 100 grams or less per day. I supplement my calorie intake with increased protein & fats. From what I've been able ascertain from the net, fats are generally not a problem if carb intake is reduced to a reasonable level. My sugar levels now have dropped dramatically to almost normal levels.

If you are overweight, by limiting carbs to a reasonable level you will lose weight & keep it off (I do not have that problem). Furthermore, the long term benefits are that epidemic of diabetes in our society can be largely arrested.

Excessive carb intake - both from sugar intake & especially from refined grains - is largely the cause of obesity in North America.

I keep it very simple - I go for a 1/1.5 hour walk daily through our local nearby parks & forest, sometimes stopping to smell the roses & talk to our urban deer. No membership fees required.

After I experienced a long, steady rise in my blood sugar levels (Type 2 diabetes since 1980, based on my extensive net research since last December I've limited my daily carb intake to 100 grams or less per day. I supplement my calorie intake with increased protein & fats. From what I've been able ascertain from the net, fats are generally not a problem if carb intake is reduced to a reasonable level. My sugar levels now have dropped dramatically to almost normal levels.

If you are overweight, by limiting carbs to a reasonable level you will lose weight & keep it off (I do not have that problem). Furthermore, the long term benefits are that epidemic of diabetes in our society can be largely arrested.

Excessive carb intake - both from sugar intake & especially from refined grains - is largely the cause of obesity in North America.

BTW, I can only power lift a large mug of beer...

TAM

You are 100% correct in what you have stated here, others in this world could learn from what you have spoken here about. My wife is also afflicted by this disease and had to alter the way she eats, and exercises as well.

I know that large mug of beer you're lifting, must be full of Lite Beer... Right.

A caveat before you read the following - I'm not a so-called 'expert' on this stuff; however, I've done my homework, applied common sense & it works for me. Your mileage may vary. Before doing anything rash, check with your medical professional first.

Gary: There are a lot of misunderstandings out there wrt to diets, especially in the mainstream medical community. I'll list a couple:

I cannot get my doctors nor nutritionists to get on side with the idea of lower carbs supplemented with protein & fats. The 'official' line from our government agencies is that we need 300+ gms of carbs per day & minimal fats. For a diabetic (& perhaps for most people), this is plain lunacy. Fat has been a dirty word since the 70s & undeservedly so IMHO - excessive carbs are the real culprit & when combined with fats, then fat does become a problem.

Search 'Dr Bernstein'(a rogue US doctor who suffers from Type 1 diabetes - not the Canadian weight-loss doc). He lives with this condition every day & his writings got me on to this regime. I admire him greatly.

Beer/alcohol - for years I went to a local pub here for my weekly live Blues Night. I would drink six or so normal beers over the course of the evening & eat a dozen hot wings with a few raw vegetables & dip on the side. I'd blissfully wander home & take my sugar reading - always normal (certainly way better than if I had eaten a plate of pasta). My doc couldn't believe it! The official word is still no alcohol for diabetics - BS IMHO, at least in my case.

An interesting parallel can be drawn with the way that we've been feeding our pet cats. They are carnivores. When dry cat food was invented 30+ years ago, it was a wonderfully convenient way to feed them. The trouble is, dry cat food was mostly grains & they become addicted to these heavy doses of carbs. Some years down the road many cats started developing obesity, diabetes, thyroid problems (my oldest cat has this), etc - just like humans can. These high carb products caused a lot of needless health problems for cats. Ten years ago I finally woke up to this fact & my 4 cats now eat only protein, low carb foods. They are thriving except for our old girl (18 yrs old) who we switched over too late in her life - the damage was already done.

We really have to start rethinking some of this stuff because diabetes, heart ailments, thyroid issues, etc are natural consequences of our overall sedentary lifestyle & excessive carb consumption. I wish that I'd had known about this stuff 30 or 40 years ago & I hope that our medical professionals become more open-minded.

The sad fact is, diabetes alone with all of its devastating side effects is going to cost our counties billions in health expenditures - money that we don't have...

exlab, that diet sounds 'similar' to Paleo. I've gone about 80% Paleo since last August and noticed a big difference. I still like my occasional beer and desert, hence I'm not 100%. And there are occasions when I cheat with sugar or carbs, but when I do, I do so with only quality options. If I'm going to eat a pizza, it's an artisan pizza, not Round Table. No more junk food or processed food. It's made a big diff with lost weight (and kept it off) and feeling less bloated. And, it's helped increase my strength, speed and muscle growth when combined w/ Crossfit that I do 3x a week. The nice thing is that this is more of a lifestyle, not a diet. Hence, it's something I can live with for the rest of my life vs waiting for the diet to end.

Like you guys, I've been watching refined carbs for almost a decade, for the most part under the plan Protein Power which is also aimed at reducing processed foods and grains and increasing your plant and protein intake. It was written by two doctors, husband and wife, and almost a third of the book is just medical evidence about the positive affect low-carb eating has on cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease . . . on and on. For my body, it was definitely the right decision. I don't know if it is for everyone's, but like oldskool, I just feel better eating this way than any other. It is very interesting to watch the science unfold around it. Although it must have been in favor of copious amounts of Oat Bran in the 80s, so who knows? {grin}